The Pope to Priests: Celibacy is a Challenge, beware of what you watch on the Web

Francis’ dialogue with the students of the Roman Colleges on 16 March last, published: “Be human, not rigid and closed in”. “Know how to caress as fathers and brothers, otherwise the devil leads you to pay for caressing”

Pope Francis

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Pubblicato il
08/06/2018

salvatore cernuzio

vatican city

Exactly fifty days after its pronouncement, this afternoon the Holy See circulated the full text of the dialogue of Pope Francis with about two thousand students from the Roman Ecclesiastical Colleges during an audience that took place on 16 March last, in the Paul VI Hall. A very long speech, in which the Pontiff, amidst jokes and metaphors, provides useful suggestions for formation and for living vocation and priesthood. The text had not been made public that day by the Vatican Press Office at the behest of the Pontiff himself (in the afternoon, however, a brief chronicle had been published on L’Osservatore Romano and a report on Vatican News.)

In a clearly relaxed and confidential atmosphere, Francis answered to 5 questions asked by seminarians, deacons and priests: a Frenchman, a Sudanese, a Mexican, an Italian-American and a Filipino.

To the first one, Louis, who asked how “to endure on the path of discipleship”, Francis explained that “the missionary disciple cannot walk alone”. “The missionary is always on the move. If you are a priest, you cannot be a “quiet” priest, a priest from a sacristy, from a parish office, a priest with a sign on the door saying: “I receive only Monday, Wednesday, Friday from this hour to that hour” and “I confess on that day only, from… to… “: you shall sin before that hour, because if you sin after you can’t confess… NO, you can’t do that: You are on the move,” Francis explains.

And on this path, there will be surprises, that you shall discover through “listening”. Listening “to the Lord”, of course, but also “to the needs of humanity, to their problems”. A kind of “listening” that becomes “prayer” so you do not become “deaf” to God’s words. And if the Word sounds as if it were “turned off” it means that “you have turned off your passion, you have changed, and have learned to listen to other things”.

Walking and listen, but also being “fraternal”. “But this is easy. It’s not easy - Pope Francis says -. It’s easy now, because you’re all together, all in a college with so many priests at your service, that can help you; but when you’re in a parish, when you’re in a university teaching, it won’t be easy because comfort, worldliness will lead you not to be on the move.“For it is tiring to be on the move”. Beware, however, because “life starts shrinking” and we become “like those deaf people who do not listen to certain things but listen to others”. “selective-Deaf,” Bergoglio says.

If you are not vigilant, you end up like that. It is therefore important to live the “fraternity”, with friends, with the closest priests and with one’s spiritual father. That does not necessarily have to be a priest because spiritual direction is “a lay charism”. The Pope advises to be “accompanied” by two different guides: one as a confessor, the other as a spiritual father. The important thing is that they have “the charism to accompany you” and “the ability to listen”.

When the “demons of life” are unleashed, accompaniment is fundamental. The “meridian devil”, the famous “cuarentazo” as they call him in Argentina, the “Midday demon” who shows up in the midst of “many other difficulties, all born from the original sin and temptation”. Speaking of the devil, Pope Francis reports a personal anecdote: “The other day a priest, who had read something I had written about the spiritual life, I do not remember what it was, approached and told me: “Be careful, because you mentioned the devil’s name, that time, and he will take revenge! It is better not to name the devil, to pretend that he does not exist”. No, the devil exists! And the devil - as Pietro says – patrols, like a “leo rugens””.

In response to Nebil, from Africa, who addressed the theme of discernment, the Bishop of Rome got something off his chest: “the slanders say that “discernment is now the trendy word: this Pope has come here with this story... What do they mean “here”? Discernment is in the Gospel!”.

The whole history of the Church “is a story about discernment”. “To know how to understand, in life what is good, what is not good; what comes from God, what comes from me, and what comes from the devil. This is elementary, it is so simple: it is a fundamental language for the life of every Christian, and especially of a priest”. And for discernment i.e. to be “right and true”, two conditions are needed: first, prayer, and the other, confrontation, maybe with a person who “does not solve [the problem] but tells you: look at this ..., this does not seem a good inspiration for this reason...”.

This helps a great deal. Jorge Mario Bergoglio experienced it in his own skin, after “two years of novitiate ... without discernment,” he says in the laughter of those present, thanks to his professor of metaphysics, “a very good Jesuit, Father Fiorito,” who “was a specialist, not only theoretical but practical, in discernment.

“Discernment is important,” Francis urges. When in priestly life there is no discernment “there is rigidity and casuistry”. And everything becomes “closed”, the Holy Spirit “cannot work” and all “spiritual emotions” are turned off. The opposite is not to do whatever you want, the Pope points out, but to use “another language”, to let oneself be involved “in a different way”. In short, “Do not leave it to books that say one thing or another”.

“Many, many priests - I say this with a good spirit, tenderness and love - many priests live well, in God’s grace, yet they live as if the Spirit did not exist. Yes, they know that there is a Holy Spirit, but he does not enter into their life”, Francis points out, adding also that “goodness always lies in inner goodness united to dialogue with the Spirit”. And, when the Holy Spirit is there, he also brings a “sense of humor.“To know if a person has reached great spiritual maturity, let’s ask ourselves, “Does this person have a sense of humor? It is the human attitude closest to grace”, Francis repeats. And to young people, often “narcissists” who stare at themselves in the mirror...”, he advises: “Laugh at yourself. It will do you well”.

The Pope answers to Mexican Jorge Moreno speaking of those “good” priests who “have had a developmental lack in their personality, a lack of education”. “For example, you find a priest so sad, who is yet humanly incapable of crying” or, on the contrary, “incapable of rejoicing, even when spending time with other priest friends”. When it happens, there is something missing, he says, “human formation is missing”, “the human side is missing”. And “many priests suffer because they are not able to express what they have inside: they have been blocked, they have cut from their personality some very good things, great abilities, and they have haven’t been able to grow on this side”. It is important, however, to safeguard “the social skills, the ability to respect others, even those who differently, the ability to rejoice with friends, to play a good game of football ..., these things of which [some think] “no, but a priest, he cannot ...”. So many human skills that do not develop...”.

Unfortunately, Francis points out, “in some places, in sometimes, the human social skills have not been encouraged during formation”. Some priests have been “poorly educated”: “You must behave rigidly” and so on. “This hurts human spontaneity. It is true that it “may lead to something ugly, but this is a danger that you must be able to discern and defend yourself from this. But a normal person – and by normal, I mean human - who goes to visit a sick person and listens to them, and takes their hand, in silence: this is human”.

Human is also “being fathers” not stepfathers. And human is knowing how to “caress well”. “listen carefully – Bergoglio says: if you do not know how to caress well, as fathers and as brothers, it is possible that the devil will lead you to pay for caressing. Be careful”.

Hence, once again, the recommendation not to become mere “officials of the sacred”, “employees of God” who “do their job” but “do not know how to give life. “So many of us are old bachelors!” Francis exclaims, “that when you hear them preach or hear them speak you want to ask: “But tell me, what did you have for breakfast today? Coffee or vinegar?”.

Again, in reply to deacon Louis, the Pope addresses the theme of “diocesanism” understood as the relationship with the bishop which is not always easy, yet it is fundamental, because when there is no relation, then “the relationship with the father is missing”. “Each of you must ask themselves: how is my relationship with the bishop? “But he is bad, he is neurotic. How is my relationship with my dad, who is bad and neurotic? What would you recommend to a boy who tells you that his father is in prison? For example. Or that his father beats up his mother - the bishop who beats up the Church. You would recommend him to: “Pray for your father, get close to your father”, you will never say: “Erase your father from your life””, Francis explains.

Then the Pope also warns against “gossip” that “it is the leprosy of the presbyter” which is something quite different from speaking with loyalty and frankness. When, for example, during a meeting, “somebody who you don’t like speaks, do you judge him immediately or do you try to listen well and understand what he is saying? Or maybe, after the meeting, you go out with your friends and say: “Did you hear what that stupid guy said?...”.

Be careful, hence, to safeguard your relationship with your father (the bishop) and your brothers (the other priests). Future relations with the faithful also depend on these relations.

Finally, Pope Francis speaks of “weaknesses”, the sexual ones, and those related to virtual communications. The theme is raised by the question of Don Michael Aguilar from the Philippines.

Francis explains that “ongoing formation comes also from the experience of one’s own weakness; they do not give you a certificate of perpetual holiness when you are ordered priest: they send you somewhere, to work, and may God help you and may crows not eat you”. One must be “conscious” of one’s own weakness, especially in this hyper-technological contemporary culture that “enters the soul”. Just like “How I enter in my mobile phone, in my virtual communications… You know well what I am talking about: what am I trying to look at, out of curiosity? You know it,” Bergoglio asks.

The Pope also speaks of the “challenge of celibacy”. “Be prepared because “If I had met this woman before being ordered! In Spanish, we say: “tarde piaste”, that is, “you noticed this late”. But you are normal men, you desire to have a woman, to love her. And when this possibility comes, how will you react? Do you have the desire to generate children? Not only spiritual, but what about the others? This is something we have in our nature given by God. And then, comfort in one’s own ministry: “but, if it’s a little more comfortable, don’t do it with so much effort...”.

All these things, during your formation years, “are easy to solve, but then, in life, you will be more alone and these things will be there. Some are bad, others good; but there will be there”, the Pope warns. For this reason, he calls for a solid “constant formation” based on “four pillars”: spiritual, intellectual, apostolic and communal. It is necessary not only “to overcome temptations, but also to be a little in the present, in the development of pastoral work, theology, and the life of the Church”.